1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and method that authenticates a user using hybrid biometrics information, such as a user's image information, a user's voice information, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of information and digital communication technology, various types of portable devices have been introduced to provide communication services and process user information. Examples of the user devices are mobile communication terminals, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), electronic organizers, smart phones, tablet PCs, etc. These devices may be equipped with a variety of functions, such as, a voice call, a message transmission for Short Message Service (SMS)/Multimedia Message Service (MMS) for example, a video call, an electronic organizer, a camera function, an emailing function, a broadcast playback, a video playback, an Internet function, an e-commerce function, an audio playback, a schedule function, a Social Networking Service (SNS), a messenger, a dictionary, a game device, etc.
User devices are also equipped with a security function to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the devices. For example, when user devices with a security function are turned on, a lock screen may be displayed, so that a user can release the lock state only if the preset passwords are applied to the lock screens. In recent years, biometrics has been used to identify humans by their characteristics, e.g., finger prints, faces, voices, retinas, irises, etc., and, as it has proven to provide a relatively high level of security, it has been implemented in user authentication systems and its application rapidly growing.
When conventional user authentication systems applied to user devices identify users by their characteristics, they require the users to directly input their fingerprint information to a fingerprint identifier installed to the devices or to directly place their eye close to an iris identifier installed to the devices. As such, since conventional user authentication systems force users to take specific steps to acquire their biometrics information, they inconvenience users.
Meanwhile, if facial information or voice information is used to identify users, they can reduce user inconvenience and discomfort while they are inputting the information thereto. In particular, since conventional user authentication systems using facial or voice information can use a camera module or a microphone of a user device, they don't need additional input parts, and this can thus reduce costs when they are installed to the user devices. Therefore, researches and developments regarding user authentication systems using facial or voice information from among biometrics information are growing.
It is in light of this background information related to the user authentication that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.